Excessive loss of hyperopia. A presenting sign of juvenile aphakic glaucoma
J. E. Egbert and B. J. Kushner
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
We present the cases of four patients in whom juvenile aphakic glaucoma
developed. An excessive loss of hyperopia was the initial clinical sign
that alerted us to the diagnosis of glaucoma. At the time of diagnosis, the
mean refractive error of the six glaucomatous eyes in the four patients was
+4.75 diopters (D) (range, -0.25 to +6.75 D). The mean change in refraction
from time of cataract extraction to diagnosis of juvenile aphakic glaucoma
was 17.00 D (range, 9.25 to 21.00 D). All aphakic patients in the private
practice of one of us (B.J.K.) with a spherical equivalent of less than
+8.00 D in either eye have glaucoma. The only exception are those patients
with a coexisting condition predisposing them to myopia. We have found an
excessive loss of hyperopia to be a useful sign in alerting the
ophthalmologist to the diagnosis of juvenile aphakic glaucoma.
